Today, most hydrogen in the United States, and about half of the world's hydrogen supply, is produced through the steam reforming of natural gas. The U.S. demand for hydrogen currently is about 9 million tons per year. Of this amount, about 1.5 million tons is merchant hydrogen production that is sold to refineries and chemical plants. In refineries, hydrogen is produced as a by-product of naphtha reforming, and any supplemental hydrogen is produced from steam reforming of natural gas. The chemical industry also uses hydrogen, mostly to manufacture ammonia and other nitrogen-based fertilizers. Hydrogen for the chemical industry is also produced from steam reforming of natural gas, although some chemical plants use coal gasification (i.e., partial oxidation) to produce hydrogen. In total, about 95 percent of U.S. hydrogen production for supplemental refinery needs and the chemical industry is produced from natural gas using steam reforming technology.

In fuel cells, the use of hydrogen produces fewer greenhouse gases than does burning fossil fuels

. Fuel cells convert energy efficiently, which helps conserve energy resources. And a byproduct of this electro-chemical process is pure water—a clear benefit for the environment

However, hydrogen—a tasteless, odorless, colorless gas—is not found freely in nature. It must be extracted from other substances.

Every fuel cell also has an electrolyte, which carries electrically charged particles from one electrode to the other, and a catalyst, which speeds the reactions at the electrodes. Hydrogen is the basic fuel, but fuel cells also require oxygen. One great appeal of fuel cells is that they generate electricity with very little pollution–much of the hydrogen and oxygen used in generating electricity ultimately combine to form a harmless byproduct, namely water.

A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity by a chemical reaction. Every fuel cell has two electrodes, one positive and one negative, called, respectively, the anode and cathode. The reactions that produce electricity take place at the electrodes.

A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent.

A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent.[1] Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used. Fuel cells are different from batteries in that they require a constant source of fuel and oxygen to run, but they can produce electricity continually for as long as these inputs are supplied.

A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent